Learning from the Big Dogs
Huck Finn is a puppy. Half golden Labrador retriever, half Labradoodle, he’s a bundle of loose-limbed, silky-eared energy. Huck has a group of fans (I confess to being one) who …
Plant Amnesty: Make ‘em laugh to save the trees
Plant Amnesty does not use the nudge. The Seattle nonprofit group does not gently press people to change their behavior. The organization’s mission is “to end the senseless torture and …
Denis Hayes: Nudging people to take the stairs
How do you get people to take the stairs instead of the elevator? Denis Hayes suggests designing buildings so the stairs are the obvious choice. If the first thing you …
How hidden words make you feel old, and other upbeat subjects
Ed. note: In honor of my 10th anniversary in business, I am reposting some of the posts from my (now-defunct) Sage Enviro blog to make it easier for people to …
Michael Bublé and Candid Camera: How social proof works
Ed. note: In honor of my 10th anniversary in business, I am reposting some of the posts from my Sage Enviro blog to make it easier for people to find …
Lucky iron fish eliminates anemia
Imagine eliminating anemia in a Cambodian community through a simple fish made of iron, used in cooking pots. See the story in this gorgeous YouTube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9eecKQenuo The fish story …
If it’s useful, people will share (Contagious, part 5)
Here’s the fifth post about Jonah Berger’s book Contagious: Why things catch on. Berger describes six reasons that products, ideas and behaviors spread. Practical Value The good news is that getting …
Making it public helps behaviors spread (Contagious, part 4)
Here’s the fourth post about Jonah Berger’s book Contagious: Why things catch on. Berger describes six reasons that products, ideas and behaviors spread. Making it public Things that are public, …
Changing behavior to spread innovations: “she was nice”
“Why do some innovations spread so swiftly and others so slowly?” asks Atul Gawande in The New Yorker. He begins by discussing the different paths in the 19th century of …
Gamer, heal thyself
When Jane McGonigal suffered a serious brain injury in 2009, it inspired her to create a game called “SuperBetter” to help heal herself. Recently I heard McGonigal speaking about the …